Boudicca's Voice

Hillary Would Hate Me

This is definitely not the post of Christmas levity. Quite the opposite actually.

I wasn’t going to post it, although I’ve been laughing to myself about it, but when I read Eric’s post on his Bah Humbug thoughts on Christmas this year, it just lent itself as a lead in to my thoughts.

I’m not there. I’m not in the whole ‘Yay! It’s Christmas!’ spirit and I don’t know whether its because I added a marathon to my December deal or because of the financial concerns we’re going through or because… I’m just beat with so much crap going on in our lives.

A decision is about to be made with regard to my fil, stuff I’ve not blogged upon, but let me just say that things have gotten wicked bad with a call to 911, a car accident, and some very scary eye opening events... all in the last two weeks.

And I never realized how much time this marathon training would take. If you have a family and are thinking of running a marathon, don’t do one close to Christmas. My house isn’t decorated at all, we just put the tree up today, there has been no baking, Christmas cards are going out… Christmas Eve, and shopping has just been completed.

I started a tradition last year where I bake cookies and we have hot chocolate as the kids decorate the tree. Of course I just thought it was something fun for last year, not realizing until tonight I’d started a tradition!

So baking will occur tomorrow, with the tree being trimmed, and I’ll start wrapping as we leave on Tuesday for my folks’ house.

My husband has really stepped up to the plate, on top of having to deal with the business issues, his Dad, and life in general. He’s a busy guy, truly stressed, and today he spent the day shopping for the kids… getting stuff for their stockings and buying them clothes as he’s the master of finding clothes on sale for the boys.

I am incapable of going to the mall on days like the Saturday before Christmas. I just… can’t. He can however, so he did.

I am grateful.

But overall, typically, Christmas is the woman’s holiday. Women do the decorating, the shopping, the meal planning, the Christmas cards. On top of all that we do day in and day out, we get to add Christmas to our to do list as it monopolizes our time.

Usually? I don’t care. Usually? I’m game! I love Christmas and the infectious happiness, the wonderful music, the good family time. I try to get my shopping done early so I can enjoy it for what it really is.

This year, however, it’s been too much for me.

And so the following conversation occurred to the best of my recollection… at work.

Me: I’m not into Christmas this year. I hate it. If I didn’t have three kids, I’d skip it.

Joe, one of the bookends: No, you don’t mean it.

Me: I do. I do mean it. It’s a f***ing woman’s holiday. F***ing Women’s Rights. I get to work, take care of a family, AND do Christmas. Before women just did family and Christmas, now I get to work on top of it. F***ing Women’s Rights.

Joe: That’s what you get for burning your bra…

Me: *I* didn’t burn my bra! NO. It was those… Suffragettes!! It was those f***ing Suffragettes!

Joe, laughing.

Me: Damn Suffragettes.

And the above conversation was completely in jest and Joe and I laughed as I actually went through my half of the conversation, flailing my arms and being Big Drama for effect. And I’m GLAD I have equal pay. And I’m GLAD I can do the job I do.

Really.

But there are days its just too much and this month has been one of them.

But that’s been my saying at work this week whenever anyone asks how my holiday is going… I reply with a ‘Damn Suffragettes” and I usually get a quizzical look in return as Joe sits in his cube and laughs.

Posted by Boudicca at December 20, 2008 10:04 PM | TrackBack